Sailing in Turkey - Country Information

Geographical position: Turkey is located in southwestern Asia on the Anatolian peninsula for the most part but it also includes parts of Thrace, an area in southeaster part of Europe. It has always been on the crossroads of the two continents but its desire was to be as close to Europe as possible. Its capital is Ankara and it largest city, and the most popular tourist destination, is Istanbul, the most precious stone in the ring of universal empire from the Osman's dream myth.The country is surrounded by four seas - the Black Sea, the Marmara Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea.

Population: Officially 70,586,256 as of 1st January 2008 (67,803,927 in 2000), average of 92 inhabitants live per km2, 70.5% of the total population live in the cities and 29.5% in villages or small towns in the countryside. Istanbul: 12,573,836 as of Jan 2008 (10,033,478 in 2000), 17.8 % of the total population, 2420 people per square kilometer Ankara: 4,466,756 as of Jan 2008 (4,007,860 in 2000), 6.3 % of the total population Izmir: 3.739.353 as of Jan 2008 (3,387,908 in 2000), 5.3 % of the total population, 311 people per square kilometer

Government system: Turkey is a parliamentary representative democracy.

Official language and script: Turkish language and Latin alphabet.

Time zone: EET (UTC+2), in summer EEST (UTC+3).

Religion: 99% of the population is Muslim. Turkey is a secular state that assures complete freedom of other non-muslim religions.

Capital: Ankara (population of 3,842,737), while the largest city is Istambul (population of 10,861,463).

Climate: The climate ranges from Mediterranean to Continental, so in certain areas the temperature can drop as low as -40°C but also go as high as +40°C.

Currency: New Turkish Lira (TRY).

Working hours: Shops and department stores are opened between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., or to 3 p.m. A smaller number of stores close between noon and 4 p.m. Many stores are also opened on Sundays, especially in the summer, and some smaller are opened 24 hours a day. Public services and companies usually work from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

Electricity & Water: Electricity: 220 V. Tap water is safe to drink, but it is advisable to drink bottled water instead.

Telephone code: The telephone code for Turkey is +90.

When to travel to Turkey: The best time to travel to Turkey is definitely either in the spring or in autumn (from June to September). That is when the temperature in Istanbul and the coastal regions is the mildest, around cozy 24 degrees, there is not much rain and the sky is clear for the most part. At the same time the weather is quite pleasantly cool in Central Anatolia.

History: Turkey was founded, by a national hero Mustafa Kemal, in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire. In 1950, there was a peaceful transfer of power, from one-party rule to a victory of opposition Democratic Party. Even though the Turkish political parties have multiplied, over the years, democracy has been fractured so much that eventually resulted in a return of political power to civilians. In 2004, KGK announced an end to its ceasefire and attacks attributed to the KGK increased. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the European Community.

Sightseeing: Turkey prides itself with some of the most important works of architecture such as Aya Sofya, built in the 6th century as ordered by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian.Some of the best examples of Ottoman architecture are mosques. Turkey has very diverse landscape that comprises of both mountains and seasides, numerous lakes and rivers.

Turkish people: Modern Turkey encompasses bustling cosmopolitan centers, pastoral farming villages, barren wastelands, peaceful Aegean coastlines, and steep mountain regions. More than 70% of Turkey's population lives in urban areas that juxtapose Western lifestyles with more traditional ways of life. / They are incredibly cordial people who will look upon you as a member of their family from the start and share the miracle of their national cuisine with you.

Cuisine: The Turkish and Ottoman Kitchen is one of the world leading kitchens. Turkey is the mother country of kebab, baklava, Turkish delight, and a famous alcoholic beverage raki awaits you.